I wanted to find the funnest (for me) summer activity ever and I am almost positive I have done it. I am not sure if you can get a greener, more nature-esque activity that is any cooler in my book. I found this outstanding idea from a website called How To Build Fairy Houses. This activity can really be done any way you like. How fun would this be for a party or a school project? I think this idea can be used for many an educational reason but also for family time. The materials are all from nature and as long as you are respectful of the surrounding plants and animals as well as the materials you collect/use you really can’t go wrong. Different areas will offer different options as will different seasons which make this project kind of really fun. Here is a list of materials that can be used:

Fairy Houses can be designed anyway you want. You can let your imagination go wild or use a design you have already seen. Find a quiet place away from roads or busy pathways. The base of a tree or the side of a rock are great places to build. Try to keep the house close to the ground to help keep the house stable and so a floor doesn’t have to be built. Sometimes you may find a special place in the low branches of a tree or bush if you are lucky.
Look for building areas in woods, beaches, meadows, and especially your own backyard! Use only natural materials to build the house. Try not to use anything artificial as it ruins the look and spirit of the fairy house idea. The idea of a fairy house is to look so natural that it is almost hidden. You never know what may choose to live in there! You could be helping a poor displaced animal or fairy who will forever be grateful.

Rules:

Be respectful of ALL living things in the surrounding building areas. Destroying nature to create your fairy house is not what a fairy would want and definitely not something nature would appreciate. Try not to disturb plants that are still living, such as ferns, mosses and flowers. Fairies are careful not to harm anything that is growing.

Have you ever built a fairy house? If so let me know! I would love to see what you made and hear about how it happened. If you haven’t here are some other books I found that also show you how to build fairy houses:

For those of you that have never heard of the Blarney Stone or the legend here is what Wikipedia says about it: The Blarney Stone (Irish: Cloch na Blarnan) is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney, about 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Cork, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of the gab (great eloquence or skill at flattery). The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446. The castle is a popular tourist site in Ireland, attracting visitors from all over the world to kiss the stone and tour the castle and its gardens.
The word blarney has come to mean “clever, flattering, or coaxing talk”. John O’Connor Power’s definition is succinct: ‘Blarney is something more than mere flattery. It is flattery sweetened by humour and flavoured by wit. Those who mix with Irish folk have many examples of it in their everyday experience.’

I like this idea and think it is quite cute for little kids to do and possibly fun for them to learn. This is a super cute idea for littler kids to do as well as perfect for parties and school projects. All you need is whatever you have lying around the house to decorate the stone with ie. paint, glitter, buttons, feathers and anything else you think would be fun to use. Choose a stone from your yard or somewhere else that you can find them and go decorating crazy.
Once you have finished decorating you can put them around your yard and make a game of finding them or just use them for decoration. The perk to this project is you can leave the stone in your yard!

The summer is almost coming to a close which makes me super sad but have no fear there fall is almost here which means fun, cooler weather and back to school!! Now is a great time to get deals on fun summer stuff and for all of your back to school needs!
Saving money and being responsible about your purchases is very important. I know it is difficult to find companies that you can trust. Being green isn’t always easy but I have found some great companies with great deals right here for you!

Mattress Sale! Get 5% off any Keetsa Mattress and get Free Ship. Use code “KEETSA5POFFAUG12″ at checkout. Shop Now!

Since I have a zoo living in my house (bf included) laundry builds up fast and although we try to stick to doing our laundry once a week to save water sometimes that just isn’t possible. I am a huge proponent of using biodegradable, organic and chemical free detergents and softeners. I don’t like detergents that smell too much. They never smell natural and I feel like if a detergent needs that much fragrance it is doing so because the laundry probably isn’t as clean as it should be. I’d rather have a fresh clean smell then some made up smell that doesn’t even exist in nature. What really gets my goat is some of these eco-detergents cost an arm and a leg. I never really understand that if the product is supposed to be natural have no harmful chemicals and whatever other attributes the product boasts why should it costs more than the harmful crap detergents. I always hear the excuse well to process it right or package it appropriately it is more costly. I really think that is a load of rubbish personally. Either way on my hunt for eco-awesome laundry solutions I stumbled upon EcoNuts. If you don’t know what a soap nut is click here, I didn’t know either but I will say they are quite an interesting little nut!
EcoNuts have hit my personal trifecta of green awesomeness 1. They package responsibly and don’t try to trick the consumer. 2. EcoNuts are found in nature and are a reasonable alternative to using harmful products without having to be manipulated to become a suitable green product. 3. The price is right! EcoNuts do not over charge their merchandise and because their packaging is so responsible they can’t even use it as an excuse for the high prices. If you haven’t tried them yet you should!! If you have let me know how you liked Pure Citizen” target=”_blank”>EcoNuts!!

Eco-Fun: Great Projects, Experiments, and Games for a Greener Earth
The weather is getting nicer out and this makes all of nature seem more relevant since is will soon be sprouting all around us! This is a great time to learn how nature works, why we need to save it and out. Eco-Fun is perfect for the whole family to get involved. When the kids are bored give them this and make them learn something. Eco Fun could also be a great tool in a school setting as well as groups like the scouts.Description: The earth they walk on, the air they breathe, the water they drink, the sun that gives them energy–not to mention animals and their very own selves: everything about our world excites children. And, with these 50 fun-filled, science-based environmental experiments, kids will discover more about how our planet works and how to make it better. Divided into five themes (earth, air, energy, water, and biodiversity), these activities show how each element operates alone and in connection with the others–and what effect it has on us and the environment. Here are real-life ecology projects to do at school or at home, and for the community. Helped by an abundance of lively illustrations, youngsters will become “supermarket sleuths,” finding out where food comes from. They can build a solar panel, make recycled paper, construct a worm composter, and create a forest ecosystem in a jar. And when they’re done with each section, they’ll take an entertaining quiz or complete a puzzle. There’s no better way to develop a child’s intimate connection with nature.